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8.2 Earthquake Off the Coast of Chile, Tsunami Triggered

Posted by Soulskill on from the be-safe dept.

An 8.2-magnitude earthquake has struck roughly 60km off the cost of Chile. Its depth was approximately 20.1km. A tsunami has been generated, and evacuations have been ordered along the coast near the strike. Tsunami warnings were also issued for Peru and Ecuador. According to the Associated Press, "Coastal residents of northern Chile evacuated calmly as waves measuring almost 2 meters (6 1/2 feet) struck ahead of a tsunami that was expected to come ashore later. ... Chile's emergency service reported some roads blocked by landslides caused by the quake, but said no injuries had been reported so far."

86 comments

  1. First! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    This is pat Robinsons punishment from God for molesting little kids

    1. Re:First! by craigminah · · Score: 0

      Really?

    2. Re:First! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

      Around a year ago, I was mindlessly surfing the internet (as I often do) when I came across an enigmatic web page. The page, which looked like a warning from my web browser, informed me that I had a virus installed on my computer and that to fix it, I should install a strange anti-virus program that I'd never heard of (which I found peculiar considering the fact that I already had anti-virus software installed on my computer). Despite having reservations about installing it, I did so anyway (since it appeared to be a legitimate warning).

      I cannot even fathom what I was thinking at that time. Soon after attempting to install the so-called anti-virus software, my desktop background image changed into a large red warning sign, warnings about malware began making appearances all over the screen, and a strange program I'd never seen before began nagging me to buy a program to remove the viruses. What should have been obvious previously then became clear to me: that software was a virus. Frustrated by my own stupidity, I began tossing objects around the room and cursing at no one in particular.

      After I calmed down, I reluctantly took my computer to a local PC repair shop and steeled myself for the incoming fee. When I entered, I noticed that there were four men working there, and all of them seemed incredibly nice (the shop itself was clean and stylish, too). After I described the situation to them, they gave me a big smile (as if they'd seen and heard it all before), accepted the job, and told me that the computer would be working like new again in a few days. At the time, I was confident that their words held a great degree of truth to them.

      The very next day, while I was using a local library's computer and browsing the internet, I came across a website dedicated to a certain piece of software. It claimed that it could fix up my PC and make it run like new again. I knew, right then, merely from viewing a single page on the website, that it was telling the truth. I cursed myself for not discovering this excellent piece of software before I had taken my PC to the PC repair shop. "It would've saved me money. Oh, well. I'm sure they'll get the job done just fine. I can always use this software in the future to conserve money." Those were my honest thoughts at the time.

      Two days later, my phone rang after I returned home from work. I immediately was able to identify the number: it was the PC repair shop's phone number. Once I answered, something strange occurred; the one on the other end of the line spoke, in a small, tormented voice, "Return. Return. Return. Return. Return." No matter what I said to him, he would not stop repeating that one word. Unsettled by this odd occurrence, I traveled to the PC repair shop to find out exactly what happened.

      Upon arriving inside the building, I looked upon the shop, which was a shadow of its former self, in shock. There were countless wires all over the floor, smashed computer parts scattered in every direction I looked, fallen shelves on the ground, desks flipped over on the ground, and, to make matters even worse, there was blood splattered all over the wall. Being the reasonable, upstanding, college-educated citizen that I was, I immediately concluded that the current state of the shop was due to none other than an employee's stress from work. I looked around a bit more, spotted three bodies sitting against the wall, and in the middle of the room, I spotted my computer. "Ah. There it is." Directly next to it was the shop's owner, sitting on the ground in the fetal position.

      When I questioned him, he kept repeating a single thing again and again: "Cannot be stopped! Cannot be stopped! Cannot be stopped!" I could not get him to tell me what was wrong, but after a bit of pondering, I quickly figured out precisely what happened: they were unable to fix my computer like they had promised. Disgusted by their failure, I turned to the shop's owner (who I now noticed had a gun to his head), and spat in his general direction. I then turned my back to him as

    3. Re:First! by Nimey · · Score: 2

      You should have used APK's hosts.txt.

      --
      Hail Eris, full of mischief...

      E pluribus sanguinem
    4. Re:First! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

      Around a year ago, I was mindlessly surfing the internet (as I often do) when I came across an enigmatic web page. The page, which looked like a warning...

      Why is this modded -1? I thought it was an interesting story. Just because you don't like a particular piece of software doesn't make the poster a "troll".

    5. Re:First! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I agree, offtopic would have sufficed...

    6. Re:First! by InsectOverlord · · Score: 1

      What system uses a hosts.txt file? We're all familiar with the hosts (no .txt extension) file.

    7. Re:First! by rochrist · · Score: 1

      Wait....what?

  2. unlikely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

    he's rich. Their shit doesn't stink and they are always moral.

  3. How can different news sources by future+assassin · · Score: 4, Insightful

    get the magnitude wrong.

    7.7
    8.2
    8.0

    http://www.google.org/publical...

    http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/c...

    http://www.latimes.com/world/w...

    --
    by TheSpoom (715771) Uncaring Linux user here. I have nothing to add to this but please continue. *munches popcorn*
    1. Re:How can different news sources by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

      Most likely those are estimates based on the data available at each location. As time moves forward the magnitud will converge.

    2. Re:How can different news sources by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

      Do not forget...

      USGS says 8.2

      Noah in theaters on March 28. I do not think that is enough time for the tsunami!

    3. Re:How can different news sources by R3d+M3rcury · · Score: 2

      It might also be the race to get the information out.

      I don't know if USGS is involved in earthquakes off the coast of Chile, but I know that the USGS refines it's numbers over time. So you might hear about a 5.0 which turns into a 5.2 and then down to a 5.1. But in our info-driven got-to-have-the-news-now-and-damn-the-accuracy culture, timeliness is more important than accuracy. We don't like to wait for data.

      So instead of saying "Big Earthquake in Chile", they throw the number in. The number doesn't mean squat to most people, other than "7.7? Wow--that's pretty big."

    4. Re:How can different news sources by lesuth · · Score: 1
      Do not forget... USGS says 8.2.

      Noah out in theaters March 28th.

      Seriously, four days is NOT enough time.

    5. Re:How can different news sources by jrumney · · Score: 4, Informative

      Initial reports of earthquakes always have differing magnitudes, based on different data sources. It is only a couple of days later when all the data is analysed together that a consistent magnitude is agreed on.

    6. Re:How can different news sources by jrumney · · Score: 4, Interesting

      USGS is involved in all major earthquake measurement - the waves travel around the world in an earthquake of this size, and often the precise magnitude is more accurately determined at a distance.

  4. In all seriousness... by BronsCon · · Score: 1, Funny

    this is a major event... but I do have to point out how hilarious it would be if the tsunami decided to peter out a half mile from the shore, like Mother Nature's own little April Fools' joke.

    --
    APK quotes people (including myself) without context and should not be trusted. Just thought you should know.
    1. Re:In all seriousness... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Chile is in the southern hemisphere, it's actually October 1st there.

  5. Of course it was calm by Gothmolly · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    Chile is a civilized country, a beacon of democracy and reason in the otherwise chaotic pile of shit known as South America.

    --
    I want to delete my account but Slashdot doesn't allow it.
    1. Re:Of course it was calm by Tailhook · · Score: -1, Troll

      chaotic pile of shit known as South America

      New Orleans had several days of warning. Not hours.

      But yeah. Bush's fault. And stuff.

      --
      Maw! Fire up the karma burner!
    2. Re:Of course it was calm by mapuche · · Score: 2, Informative

      A beacon of democracy? Chile had at least 5 military internventions in the 20th century.

    3. Re:Of course it was calm by LavouraArcaica · · Score: 2, Informative

      how in the hell a flamebait like this is modded +5 Informative?

      And Chile is not a beacon of democracy: they had the worst dictatorship (and the longer) in the whole south america.
      Yes, they have a good rate of gdp/capita. But mostly because they are sitting on a giant copper mine.

    4. Re:Of course it was calm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

      Well, here in Argentina we have public and free health care and education. If you recall, it was last year in Chile that students were hit by the police for demanding free education. Chile is still a neo-liberal country, and should learn from the socialist latin america that is growing now. In fact, there are a lot of chilean students here in Argentina that came to study for free because in their country they wouldn't have been able to.

    5. Re:Of course it was calm by flyingfsck · · Score: 2

      Not to mention that New Orleans should not be there any more. A new city was built a long time ago on the other side of the lake, but a few people insisted on not moving and rather getting flooded multiple times.

      --
      Excuse me, but please get off my Pennisetum Clandestinum, eh!
    6. Re:Of course it was calm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And worse, they still haven't judged the ones who were responsible for the deaths during the dictatorship.

    7. Re:Of course it was calm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You know the difference between present and past?

    8. Re:Of course it was calm by Trogre · · Score: 1

      What the hell does George W. Bush have to do with South America?

      --
      "Nine times out of ten, starting a fire is not the best way to solve the problem." - my wife
    9. Re:Of course it was calm by geekoid · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Nothing and neither does New Orleans, but some people are pretty clueless and feel the need to bring up there ignorant pet issues under the flimsiest of reasons.

      --
      The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
    10. Re:Of course it was calm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      two population centers in different parts of the Americas destroyed by a wall of water during a natural disaster, with two different government responses to compare. seems perfectly fair game to me. NOLA was a complete and utter fail for GWB, to a level which is still astonishing. let's see what Chile's damage and response looks like.

    11. Re:Of course it was calm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Kanye, is that you?

    12. Re:Of course it was calm by K.+S.+Kyosuke · · Score: 1

      The butterfly effect, of course!

      --
      Ezekiel 23:20
    13. Re:Of course it was calm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Stroessner in Paraguay lasted a whopping 34 years. Suck on that, Chile!!!

    14. Re:Of course it was calm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So you imply that Argentina is better off than Chile? Have you been drinking too much of Kretina's kool aid???

    15. Re:Of course it was calm by dbIII · · Score: 1

      A lot back in the day via utterly stupid foreign policy, but in the long run a lot less than his father and probably ignorable today.

    16. Re:Of course it was calm by cusco · · Score: 1

      Perhaps you need to go study in Argentina for a while, your reading comprehension skills are abysmal.

      --
      "Think about how stupid the average person is. Now, realise that half of them are dumber than that." - George Carlin
    17. Re:Of course it was calm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I understood what you meant perfectly. You claim that Chile should learn from the "Socialist Latin America." Except if that were to happen, the lesson on "how to provide public and free healthcare and education" might come with an addendum or two attached, like "how to forcibly freeze consumer product prices causing supermarkets to run out of stock and be left on the brink of bankruptcty" or "how to lie to the international community about your macroeconomic indicators although they don't believe a word you say anymore" or "how to be forced to find creative ways to keep your butt clean because the country has run out of toilet paper." And so on and so forth.

    18. Re:Of course it was calm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Oh, and here's another one: "How to keep a whole neighborhood in your nation's capital city deprived of electricity for several weeks." That actually happened in Buenos Aires in November/December 2013, remember?

    19. Re:Of course it was calm by cusco · · Score: 1

      Wow, even worse reading skills than I thought. ** I ** did not make the original post.

      --
      "Think about how stupid the average person is. Now, realise that half of them are dumber than that." - George Carlin
    20. Re:Of course it was calm by Incadenza · · Score: 1

      Yes, they have a good rate of gdp/capita. But mostly because they are sitting on a giant copper mine.

      Don't forget that they are one of the rare SA countries were corruption doesn't mingly with businness, the Chilean corruption level is on par with the USA. Which means that the profits from these mines (and all other economic sectors) flow in the ecenomy (constructors, deliveries, hotels, etc.) instead of ending on some Swiss bank account.

  6. Is this real? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

    Think think this is another fools joke. I'm not going to evacuate. You guys are so gulliblemorons.

  7. For Comparison by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    "The 8.0 earthquake that just hit Chile was 794 times bigger than the 5.1 we had in LA last week" (credit goes to @AndrewSiciliano)

    1. Re:For Comparison by hcs_$reboot · · Score: 2

      or 10 ^ (8 - 5.1)

      --
      Slashdot, fix the reply notifications... You won't get away with it...
    2. Re:For Comparison by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Wrong. It's much much more than simply 10^x.

      http://earthquake.usgs.gov/lea...

      Energy in petajoules = ( 10^(11.8 + 1.5*Ms) ) * 1e-07 * 1e-15

    3. Re:For Comparison by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      Once the magnitude of an earthquake has been worked up and agreed upon, it is roughly equivalent to the old Richer scale. The amplitude magnitude in Richer is a base-10 logarithm, but approximately base-31 for the energy. So the 8.0 magnitude earthquake Chile just experienced released about 20,000 more energy than the one LA last week. The source is the same as yours.

    4. Re:For Comparison by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      same A/C.

      pJ_LA = ( 10^(11.8 + 1.5*5.1) ) * 1e-07 * 1e-15
      pJ_LA = 0.00281838293126445

      pJ_Ch = ( 10^(11.8 + 1.5*8.2) ) * 1e-07 * 1e-15
      pJ_Ch = 125.892541179417

      25.892541179417 / 0.00281838293126445
      ans = 44668.3592150965

      So today's one was 44+ thousand times more energy than the LA quake last week.

      These big ones can even tilt the Earth on its axis.

    5. Re:For Comparison by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      we'll get there,

      44668.3592150965 peak to peak / 2 = 22334.1796075482

    6. Re:For Comparison by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually I think I was right the first time: x 44k+

  8. earthquakes here at home by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Posting from Chile here. Chile is an extremely seismic country. Construction codes and techniques require and plan for buildings to resist a 9.0 earthquake (by resist it's meant that no matter the damage to the building, even if it becomes uninhabitable, it should allow all the occupants to evacuate safely) and usually anything below 7.6 is not really reported as a major earthquake. In 2010 we had a major earthquake (8.8, 11th strongest in recorded history) and all the regions that had previously experienced a major quake (1985 in Santiago,1960 in Valdivia, and so on), and thus where rebuilt using the modern construction standards, experienced very little damage due to the quake itself. Of all people that where killed in 2010, less than 1000, most of them where due to the tsunami that ensued. The southern cities however where severely damaged as many homes where quite old and built using "adobe" mud bricks.
    The northern region that was hit today had already suffered two ~7.8 earthquakes in 2005 and 2007 and most of the construction was done using modern standards. The information is slowly coming in, but so far no casualties are reported. Right now all coastal cities have been evacuated as tsunami alarms where sounded, including massive SMS alerts and emergency alerts sent directly to Android phones.

    1. Re:earthquakes here at home by geekoid · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      Are you in Con Carne?

      --
      The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
    2. Re:earthquakes here at home by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I just hope that chile stopped using the word "richter" as they don't use that scale (no one use it anymore)

    3. Re:earthquakes here at home by alex67500 · · Score: 3, Funny

      Right now all coastal cities have been evacuated as tsunami alarms where sounded, including massive SMS alerts and emergency alerts sent directly to Android phones.

      So iPhone users can die? Sounds like Chile is way more civilised than I thought ;-)

    4. Re:earthquakes here at home by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The information is slowly coming in, but so far no casualties are reported.

      Amazing. Makes me think of the Terminator in T2...

    5. Re:earthquakes here at home by Joey+Vegetables · · Score: 1

      Chile actually has, overall, one of the better economies in Latin America and the Southern Hemisphere, although much of the development and wealth are concentrated in the central part of the country (Santiago and Valparaiso). I would assume that like almost every other part of the world, Android is much more dominant than iOS devices, which sell well only in the U.S. and a handful of other countries.

      --

      Nonaggression works!
    6. Re:earthquakes here at home by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Android users where alerted through Google's Public Alerts system, design precisely for these kinds of situations https://support.google.com/publicalerts/?hl=en . Some guy recorded one the alerts and uploaded it yo youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q65yQKpJLSM

    7. Re:earthquakes here at home by cusco · · Score: 1

      Keep in mind that the quake which devastated the libertarian Eden which is Haiti was a 7.0, so the 8.8 in Chile was 80 times more powerful. Over 300,000 dead in Haiti, less than a thousand in Chile.

      --
      "Think about how stupid the average person is. Now, realise that half of them are dumber than that." - George Carlin
    8. Re:earthquakes here at home by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Tsunami alarms seems like it would work identically to tornado sirens in the Midwest. The siren tells you to book it, the SMS tells you why you're already booking it.

  9. Bad Joke by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

    April Fools!

  10. direct alerts by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Video of one of the evacuation/tsunami alerts sent to Android phones in the coastal cities of the region that was hit by the eartquake: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FK1RcGDaFb8

    1. Re:direct alerts by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So.... the first thing the guy does is post it on YouTube instead of heeding the alert. Myth confirmed.

  11. YOU4 FAIL IT by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

    FILED COUNTnERSUIT,

  12. It's now the 21st century by dbIII · · Score: 2

    Pinochet has left the building.

    1. Re:It's now the 21st century by mapuche · · Score: 0

      And he left a bunch of "senadores designados" or non-elected senators in the law. There are still traces, but that's not the point. The point is, Chile is hardly a beacon of democracy, because generals tend to interfere with politics a lot.

    2. Re:It's now the 21st century by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      That were removed long time ago. Maybe you should go and visit Chile from time to time.

  13. "No injuries"? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    From the fine article: "Officials reported two deaths and several serious injuries...". It's the first paragraph in the damn article.

    The summary is at best misleading, misquoting a paragraph discussing the *peruvian* injuries (of which there are none reported). Chilean injuries and deaths have occurred. ... but this is slashdot, where outright wrong summaries are the norm.

    1. Re:"No injuries"? by TapeCutter · · Score: 2
      Speaking of the fine summary, WTF has the surf report got to do with the tsunami?

      "waves measuring almost 2 meters (6 1/2 feet) struck ahead of a tsunami that was expected to come ashore later"

      --
      And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage? - Pink Floyd.
    2. Re:"No injuries"? by laie_techie · · Score: 1

      From the fine article: "Officials reported two deaths and several serious injuries...". It's the first paragraph in the damn article.

      The latest news is that there have been 5 or 6 (depending on your news source) confirmed deaths.

  14. Wouldn't they be over 90 now? by dbIII · · Score: 1

    The world has moved on.

  15. Haven't heard from any Electric Universe crackpots by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

    Where have all the Electric Universe crackpots gone? I miss them. Their comments always start out relatively sane, seem intriguing, then take a sudden left turn into lunacy.

    I bet some of them could even spin Electric Universe as the cause of this earthquake.

  16. /. has really sunk to a new low by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Posting April Fools jokes about earthquakes is over the top. I hate how /. is just useless this day every year.

  17. CnN BReAkIng NeWs! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

    This could be an aftermath of the doomed Malaysia Air flight 370 according to reports coming out of Malaysia. Wolfe Blitzed reporting.

  18. Chile worst dictatorship in South America? by cbraescu1 · · Score: -1, Redundant

    Hello, companero, sorry to break your leftist bubble, but Allende was far worse than Pinochet, the both were surpassed by Peron, and Castro (not exactly South America, as you wisely restricted your criteria, but Latin America) and Chavez surpass them all.

    --
    Catalin Braescu
    Ofaly.com
    1. Re:Chile worst dictatorship in South America? by angel'o'sphere · · Score: 2

      Allende was a democratic elected president, you moron.

      --
      Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
    2. Re:Chile worst dictatorship in South America? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So was Hitler.

    3. Re:Chile worst dictatorship in South America? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Not completely correct. Allende won the most votes but not above the 50% required to become president. It was Congress that granted him the title afterwards. Note that all this was in line with the then-current Chilean Constitution.

    4. Re:Chile worst dictatorship in South America? by mapuche · · Score: 1

      Well, this doesn't help with the point, Right? How Chile can be a beacon of democrac if it had a dictator after dictator? According to you words.

    5. Re:Chile worst dictatorship in South America? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      A president may be elected democratically and yet may be a fascist dictator. Chavez, Maduro, for example. Ring a bell? oh wait, they are leftist! so they must be OK in your book, yes,

    6. Re:Chile worst dictatorship in South America? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Allende was a democratic elected president, you moron.

      So was Hitler.

      Not in Poland or France he wasn't. If he had stayed in Germany, no one would have cared.

    7. Re:Chile worst dictatorship in South America? by Incadenza · · Score: 1

      Hitler was never president. He lost the presidential elections of 1932 by a large margin to von Hindenburg. After von Hindeburg died (in 1934), Hitler abolished the presidency, and made himself head of state.

    8. Re:Chile worst dictatorship in South America? by blackraven14250 · · Score: 1

      No, he wasn't elected. He lost to von Hindenburg in the presidential elections, who later appointed him as chancellor. Meanwhile, the Reichstag switched to a largely Nazi composition due to success in elections, and passed a law (the Enabling Act) that gave Hitler the ability to pass laws without the Reichstag's approval. When von Hindenburg died, Hitler used the Enabling Act to merge von Hindenburg's former office with his own.

      The only way you can claim Hitler was "elected" is by indirectly having his cronies get elected.

  19. Global Hydrocarbon Extraction by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Global Hydrocarbon Extraction is the cause.

    Where's Al Gore?

    It's the true solution to end Global Warming. Not higher taxes.
    Stop GHE!

  20. Earth Quake Video @ Super Market by www.nametagline.com · · Score: 1

    6 killed as huge 8.2 earthquake off Chile. Here is one of the Earth Quake video at Chile Super Market..BBC Broadcast this http://www.bbc.com/news/world-...

  21. Auto generated content. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    An 8.2-magnitude earthquake has struck roughly 60km off the cost of Chile. Its depth was approximately 20.1km. A tsunami has been generated, and evacuations have been ordered along the coast near the strike. Tsunami warnings were also issued for Peru and Ecuador.

    This text reads like it was auto-generated by some computer connected to a sensor somewhere.

  22. If only I had a... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If only I had something called a "seismic cloak", I could have used it here. The cycle from discovery to practice is just too long. Dang.

  23. HAARP and Bush by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Nuff said.

  24. Tsunami reaches New Zealand by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    http://www.geonet.org.nz/tsunami/
    Small, but perfectly formed.

  25. another one by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Just had another one, at least same size as the one yesterday